Is It Always God’s Will to Heal?

Many people do not really know the will of God with regard to healing.

Some believe that it is not God’s will to heal at all times. Others believe that God is sovereign, and, as a result, He will heal some and not others. These different views make it very difficult for us to receive our healing. If I truly believe that sometimes the will of God is not to heal someone, then how can I possibly ask for that person to be healed? If I did, I would be going against God’s will.

I remember once visiting my sick grandfather in the hospital. As I entered the hospital, a young man, whose wife was hospitalized in one of the hospital wards, approached me. He recognized me from our weekly TV program and asked me to pray for his wife. I agreed, and we went upstairs to find her. Getting to know her, I found out that they have four beautiful children and that she was diagnosed with a rare blood disease and wasn’t given much hope to live. I explained to her that I was here for prayer and that I believed Jesus wanted to heal her. She agreed, and we started praying for her healing.

As I started to rebuke the sickness and disease, I felt great resistance and heard her mumbling some stuff. As I paid closer attention to what she was saying, I heard her say, “I want Your will, God, only Your will, only what You want.”

At this moment, I stopped praying and asked her, “Do you believe that God’s will is for you to be healed?”

“Do you believe that God’s will is for you to be healed?”

She replied, “I don’t know, because I have received prayer many times and wasn’t healed. I don’t want anything against His will.” I took the time to explain to her how to know what the will of God is. She was very convinced and came into agreement with the will of God instead of questioning it.

The best way to know the will of God is to look at Jesus. He is the author and the finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2). Jesus’ most important assignment was not only to save us, but to also reveal the Father’s heart. He clearly said, “I have come down from heaven to do the will of God who sent me, not to do my own will” (John 6:38 NLT). Everything Jesus did and taught was to reveal the Father to us. The gospel of John clearly tells us that no one has ever seen God. But the unique one, who is Himself God (that is Jesus), has revealed God to us (John 1:18). The apostle Paul describes Jesus to the people of Colossae by telling them that Christ is the visible image of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15).

In other words, to really know the will of the Father, we need to focus on the ministry of Jesus and ask ourselves a question: When did Jesus deny anyone their healing by telling them that it is not the Father’s will or it is not the Father’s timing or even that the Father is trying to teach them something through this sickness? The Bible clearly tells us that He healed everyone who was brought to Him.

“When did Jesus deny anyone their healing by telling them that it is not the Father’s will or it is not the Father’s timing or even that the Father is trying to teach them something through this sickness? ”

A large crowd followed him, and he healed all who were ill (Matthew 12:15).

At sunset, the people brought to Jesus all who had various kinds of sickness, and laying his hands on each one, he healed them (Luke 4:40).

Great crowds came to him, bringing the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute and many others, and laid them at his feet; and he healed them (Matthew 15:30).

In these essential verses, we see Jesus healing multitudes, without ever mentioning to anyone that God’s will is for them to be sick. On the contrary, when Philip asked Jesus to show him the Father, Jesus said to him, “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:9). Jesus continues to tell Philip that “The words I speak are not my own, but my Father who lives in me does His work through me” (John 14:10 NLT). The “work” he is referring to is healing the sick and casting out demons. This verse tells us that it was the Father living in Jesus who actually healed the sick. He demonstrated His will through Christ by healing.

The Leper

Another great healing encounter that truly demonstrates God’s will to heal is found in the following story. Although the story is short, one can easily miss the magnitude of its greatness due to the lacking cultural understanding of the time.

A man with leprosy came and knelt in front of Jesus, begging to be healed. “If you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean,” he said. Moved with compassion, Jesus reached out and touched him. “I am willing,” he said. “Be healed!” Instantly the leprosy disappeared, and the man was healed (Mark 1:40-42 NLT).

In Jesus’ day, leprosy referred to various contagious skin diseases. Leprosy was caused by a type of bacteria that attacks the nervous system, grossly deforming and slowly rotting the flesh. According to Luke’s account, this man was “covered with leprosy” (Luke 5:12). Josephus, who was a first-century historian, said lepers were treated “as if they were, in effect, dead people.” The Torah gave strict laws governing the quarantining of lepers outside the walls of cities and towns due to their “defilement.” In those days, those who suffered from a serious skin disease must tear their clothing and leave their hair uncombed. They must cover their mouths and call out, “Unclean! Unclean!” (Leviticus 13:45). The penalty for entering a city or town was forty lashes. Physical contact with a leper brought serious spiritual, ceremonial, and social defilement.

Leprosy had destroyed this man spiritually, mentally, emotionally, physically, and socially. When this leper saw Jesus, he came to Him, revealing his desperation and faith; he knelt down, fell with his face to the ground, and begged Jesus for healing. He broke all the religious and social taboos. Given all the above, it is astonishing that he even dared to come to this rabbi—unless the more astonishing reputation of Jesus’ radical compassion and healing power had preceded Him. Just like many of us, this leper believed Jesus was able to heal him, but he was not sure if Jesus was willing to heal him. This is common when it comes to physical healing. Most people believe that God is able to heal them, but the question comes in, “Is He willing to heal me now?” So many of us bargain with God; we question God: “Lord, if You are willing, if I am worthy enough. If I fast and pray and serve the poor, will You heal me?” We can’t bargain with God. We need to believe both His ability and His loving will to heal as a gift of grace and mercy.

Jesus’ response was amazing. He moved with compassion for the man and was angry at the leprosy. That moved Him into action. He did the unthinkable, going against Torah prohibitions and social stigma. Rather than the flow of the defilement entering Jesus, healing went from Jesus into the man, which was the greater power residing in Him. Jesus indicated His willingness to heal by touching the man, but He also gave verbal assurance of His willingness to heal the man. In so doing, Jesus presented the Father’s essential nature—healing is God’s will for people. This was very different and contrary to the way other rabbis portrayed God. Those rabbis believed that leprosy was defilement, even punishment from God. Jesus used His authority and spoke the word of healing, releasing God’s power.

The Ten Lepers

One might argue that it could have been God’s will to heal this leper, but that doesn’t really mean that God wants to heal everyone. If this is the case, then the story in Luke 17:11-19 sheds a different light. In this story, as Jesus reaches the border between Galilee and Samaria, ten lepers stand at a distance, calling out, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” (Luke 17:13 NLT). Jesus simply tells them to perform an act of obedience. He asks them to go and show themselves to the priests.

The priests were in Jerusalem, which is a long distance to travel. Normally, when people got healed from a skin disease, they went to show themselves to the priest. The priest then examined them, and if they had been healed, they would be asked to offer the appropriate sacrifices and be pronounced clean. In this case, none of the lepers were healed yet, but they needed to go to the priest by faith. The Bible tells us that as they as went, they were cleansed from their leprosy (Luke 17:14).

However, focusing on the will of God, we don’t see Jesus personally interviewing them and telling them, “It is God’s will to heal two; the rest will just die.” On the contrary, Jesus didn’t ask any questions; He simply gave them all the same opportunity to get healed. This shows God’s radical desire to heal. Surely not all the ten lepers were righteous; surely not all the lepers were at peace with everyone. But we do see that they all moved in faith, and all were healed. For us to effectively pray for people and see results, we need to be absolutely certain that God’s will is to heal at all times. If we are not certain of God’s will, then how will we effectively rebuke sickness and unite with God to receive our healing? From those two examples I have just used, it is clear that God’s will is for us to be healed.

Do You Want to Be Healed?

The question here becomes, “Do I want to be healed?” Many might think that this is a silly question and that no one wants to get sick. However, this is not the case for many people. I was once praying with an elderly woman who was quite ill. She asked for prayer for her spiritual life but not her physical illness. When I asked if she wanted prayer, she refused and thanked me. As I got to know her better, I found out that she had two children who were quite busy with their lives and neglected her. When they heard of her sickness, they made the effort to visit her regularly and stay in touch. This poor woman feared that if she was healed, her children would slip back into their old habits and that she would miss out on seeing them. As a result, she wanted to stay sick so that she could see her children regularly.

Sometimes people receive particular financial benefits from the government for their disability. Getting healed means losing those benefits. Once again, those people might come for prayer, but deep on the inside they are holding on to their sickness. We meet a similar man inside the city near the sheep gate, which was the pool of Bethesda (John 5:2). Many sick people who were blind, lame, and paralyzed surrounded this particular man. He had been lame for thirty-eight years. When Jesus knew he was lying there for such a long time, He asked him a very strange question. He asked him, “Would you like to get well?” (John 5:6 NLT). One would think this is an invalid question. Of course, he wants to get well. But Jesus knew that just because someone is sick, it doesn’t mean they want to get well.

Interestingly, this man came up with an excuse for why he wasn’t healed. In his mind, an angel of the Lord would come down at times and stir the water. The first person in the water after the angel stirred it got healed. Although this method didn’t work for him, he never pursued a different method. His excuses were that he didn’t have anyone who cared enough to put him in the water after the angel stirred it. He found a reason to hold on to his sickness. The Bible doesn’t mention this man’s name other than “the invalid.” The length of time of his sickness and his surrounding sick friends defined who he was. Even when Jesus Himself approached him, he didn’t ask to be healed. Here we get to see Jesus’ radical desire to heal. Although this man didn’t give a straight answer and didn’t ask for Jesus to heal him, he was healed.

We know that the root cause for this man’s sickness was his sin. Some might think that unless you repent, you won’t be healed. Jesus used a different model and didn’t impose any conditions on people. He healed this man and later gave him a command to stop sinning (John 5:14). His compassion and extravagant love and kindness are the reasons people repent (Romans 2:4). Sometimes we play God and refuse to pray for people who we know have sin in their lives. Or we teach people that if there is sin in their lives, God won’t heal them. The truth is, while we were still sinners Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). He didn’t wait until we repented to save us. The same is true about healing. God’s love covers a multitude of sins (1 Peter 4:8).

This is not to say that we make a practice of sinning, for no one who abides in Him keeps on sinning (1 John 3:6). It is true that Jesus first healed this man before asking him to repent. However, it is also true that Jesus went back to him and asked him to stop sinning or something worse may happen to him (John 5:14). Jesus is not threatening the man to stop sinning or God will inflict him with a worse sickness. Jesus is simply asking him to “stop sinning.” In other words, to close the door from which sickness entered, which is his flesh; otherwise, this door will be reopened through his sin, and he will get sicker. Jesus is simply dealing with the root cause of his sickness so that he is able to maintain his freedom and healing. Jesus is teaching us that healing is not simply an event; it is a process—a lifestyle of holiness and freedom.

“Healing is not simply an event; it is a process—a lifestyle of holiness and freedom.”

Having laid the foundation, it is clear that God’s will is to heal me, and it is His will to heal me now. So many people will repeat words such as, “I am waiting for the Lord’s timing,” when, in reality, God is waiting for us to come to Him and get our healing. We never see Jesus tell anyone to wait for the Lord’s timing. The Lord’s timing took place almost 2,000 years ago on the cross, and by His stripes we were healed. The Bible clearly teaches us that if two agree about something they ask for, it will be done for them (Matthew 18:19). When we agree with the will of the Father in heaven, healing takes place. When we ask for His reign, His kingdom to come on earth as it is in heaven, we release His presence and unite with His will. There is no sickness in heaven, there is no cancer in heaven, there is no depression in heaven. It is about time we agree with His will and release heaven to invade earth.